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LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder and top law enforcers on Tuesday proposed spending $4 million to test DNA evidence in thousands of unprocessed rape kits in Detroit, saying victims have waited too long for justice and suspected rapists can still be caught for old crimes.

After taking over the city's crime lab in 2008, the state discovered more than 11,000 untested rape-evidence boxes dating back 25 years. About 2,000 were submitted for testing thanks to a federal grant and private donations, and others were deemed invalid. But an estimated 8,000 to 9,000 have gone untested.

Each kit has the potential to solve crimes and flag cases involving serial rapists, according to law enforcement officials.

"This is a huge down payment," said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who attended an announcement in Lansing with Snyder, Attorney General Bill Schuette and other officials.

The $4 million allocation would come from legal settlement funds set aside by the attorney general's office and requires approval from the Legislature in a pending supplemental spending bill. A rape kit test costs $1,500, which means the backlog could be reduced by nearly 2,700. Snyder is optimistic more kits could be tested under bulk-processing agreements with labs.

"It's the right thing to do because there are people that have been victims that are in these kits that deserve justice," Snyder said. "It's right for our criminal justice system because there are bad people out there who should be put away."

For 569 kits where testing is complete, prosecutors found 136 hits in a DNA crime database, Worthy said. Thirty-two serial rapists were identified, some by name. She has charged four men in connection with five rapes, and DNA matches were linked to crimes in 11 other states and Washington, D.C.

"Justice was put in a box and put on a shelf. That's going to end now with this team effort," Schuette said.

Snyder did not rule out proposing to spend more money later to continue addressing the backlog.